JPH11165223A - Work supporting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a work supporting device of durability and without assistance from others by providing a drive means driving the supporting means on a table under the table, and driving the supporting means with a timing belt. SOLUTION: A drive pulley 5 is rotationally driven by an ultrasonic motor unit 4. A timing belt 8 is driven by rotation of the drive pulley 5 under the condition in which fixed tension is given by an idler pulley 6 and tension pulleys 7. A table is connected to one part of the timing belt 8 by a belt presser 9. Consequently, following movement of the timing belt 8, the table is moved, and rotary motion of the drive pulley 5 is converted to reciprocating rectilinear motion along the rail 2 of the table. An origin sensor 10 is used for detecting the origin of the table, and by detecting an origin dog 11 provided on the table, the origin position is detected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a work supporting device used for changing the shape of a work in an automatic assembling machine or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 7, at the time of setting up a work cradle or an automatic hand finger of an automatic assembling machine, the position of the work cradle is manually adjusted according to the shape of the work. I was The manual work structure is such that the movable work support 11 is fixed on the table 10, the fixed work support 16 is fixed on the base 13, and the table 10 can slide on the rail 14 attached to the base 13. It is provided in. The table 10 is movable by a ball and nut mechanism. Then, by manually rotating the handle 12, the table 10 is
Move to the desired position while watching 5.

On the other hand, when the table 10 is to be automatically moved, a servomotor is used as an actuator for driving the table 10, and after the actuator 10 is controlled to a desired position, the position is held. To activate the brakes.

[0004]

However, the above-mentioned conventional work supporting apparatus has the following problems. That is, in the case of manual operation, it is difficult to obtain the positioning accuracy, and if the position is set and then fixed by some means, a position shift occurs. In the case of automatic operation, the rotational speed of the servomotor is high, so that it is necessary to provide a speed reducer in the ball and nut mechanism, which complicates the structure. Also, during the operation of the automatic assembling machine after the positioning, if the drive motor is stopped and there is no power supply, the motor itself does not have a holding torque, so that the stop position of the table is held using a brake device or the like. And has disadvantages such as a complicated structure and an increase in cost.

Further, in the above conventional example, since the actuator is always controlled by the servo, there are the following disadvantages. That is, the controller requires the number of actuators, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost and space.

In order to execute position control, it is necessary to keep the power source of the actuator on at all times, resulting in an increase in power consumption.

When noise is mixed in position feedback information such as an encoder signal during execution of position control, there is a possibility that accurate position control cannot be performed and a position shift occurs.

Further, after the position control is performed, the brake is operated to maintain the position of the table.

It is necessary to provide a brake mechanism in addition to the actuator, which is disadvantageous in cost and space.

[0010] In the brake, play is likely to occur in the structure,
There is a possibility that the positioning accuracy may be deteriorated.

When a negative operation type brake cannot be attached, it is necessary to always turn on the power source of the brake, which leads to an increase in power consumption.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a durable and inexpensive work support device capable of simplifying the structure of the device, reducing the manufacturing cost. It is in.

Another object of the present invention is to enable a single controller to control a plurality of actuators, which is advantageous in terms of manufacturing cost and installation space, and that the position after positioning can be accurately and easily maintained. An object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive work support device that does not require another brake mechanism or the like.

[0014]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and to achieve the object, a work supporting device of the present invention has the following arrangement. That is, in a work supporting apparatus that drives and controls a supporting means for supporting a work and changes a position of the supporting means in accordance with a change in the shape of the work, a driving means for driving the supporting means on a table is provided below the table. And the supporting means is driven by a timing belt.

Preferably, the driving means is an ultrasonic motor.

Preferably, a frame for supporting a stator of the ultrasonic motor is fixed to the table.

Preferably, the frame is provided with an encoder for detecting the rotation of the output shaft.

Preferably, an origin sensor is provided on the table in the movement area of the support means, and when the support means is driven, the support means is once returned to the origin and then moved to a predetermined position.

Preferably, the driving means is provided at a side end of a lower portion of the table.

Preferably, the driving means is provided at a substantially central portion below the table.

Preferably, the support means is slid on two rails provided on the table.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a work supporting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the work supporting apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment includes a table 1, rails 2, a stage plate 3, an ultrasonic motor unit 4, a driving pulley 5, an idler pulley 6, a tension pulley. 7a, 7b,
Timing belt 8, belt presser 9, origin sensor 10,
An origin doctor 11 is provided.

The ultrasonic motor unit 4 is provided substantially at the center of the lower part of the stage plate 3.

The drive pulley 5 includes an ultrasonic motor unit 4
Is driven to rotate. The timing belt 8 is driven in a state where a predetermined tension is applied by the idler pulley 6 and the tension pulley 7 by the rotation of the driving pulley 5. The table 1 is connected to a part of the timing belt 8 by a belt presser 9. Accordingly, the table 1 moves with the movement of the timing belt 8, and the rotational movement of the drive pulley 5 is converted into a reciprocating linear movement along the rail 2 of the table 1. The origin sensor 10 is used for finding the origin of the table 1, and detects the origin position by detecting an origin doctor 11 provided on the table 1.

Next, the ultrasonic motor unit 4 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the ultrasonic motor unit shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ultrasonic motor unit 4 includes a stator 20 for generating ultrasonic vibration,
The rotor 21 rotates by the vibration of zero, the pressing spring 22 for urging the rotor 21 against the stator 20, the flange 23 supporting the pressing spring 22, the output shaft 24 to which the flange 23 is fixed, and the bearing for supporting the output shaft 24. 25, output shaft 2
And an encoder 26 that outputs a pulse signal by the rotation of 4.

The ultrasonic motor unit 4 includes a stator 20
The stator 20 is ultrasonically vibrated by applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element fixed to the
1 is rotated to generate a rotational force. In order to generate a rotational force on the rotor 21, the stator 20 and the rotor 2
1 must be pressed, and the pressing spring 22 generates the pressing force. The pressing spring 22 has a function of transmitting the rotational force of the rotor 21 to the output shaft 24. The stator 20 is supported by stator support frames 20a and 20b fixed to the stage plate 3.

The rotational force applied to the rotor 21 is transmitted to the flange 23 via the pressing spring 22,
Is rotated. The drive pulley 5 is fixed to the output shaft 24, and the torque of the output shaft 24 is transmitted to the drive pulley 5. The output shaft 24 is rotatably supported on the stator support frames 20a and 20b by bearings 25.

On the other hand, the rotation of the output shaft 24 is
By performing feedback control based on the detection signal of the encoder 26, the table 1 can be moved to an arbitrary position by a position controller 50 described later.

Next, an example of use of the setup changer will be described with reference to FIG.

In the work supporting apparatus 100, a fixed work receiving table 32 is fixed on a base 33, and a movable work receiving table 31 is fixed on a table 1. This table 1 is provided on a stage plate 3. The rail 2 is slidably mounted on the rail 2 from side to side.

When the work shape is changed from the long work W1 shown in FIG. 4A to the short work W2 shown in FIG. 4B and the setup of the table 1 is changed, the ultrasonic motor unit 4 is used. Is driven and the rotation of the output shaft 24 is feedback-controlled by the encoder 26 while the table 1 is
To the desired position on the left.

Next, a work supporting apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a work supporting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the second embodiment,
The ultrasonic motor unit 4 is arranged at a side end of the stage plate 3 along the moving direction of the table 1. By arranging the ultrasonic motor unit 4 at the side end of the plate 3 in this way, the idler pulley 6 and the tension pulley 7b become unnecessary, and the structure can be simplified.

As described above, according to the work supporting devices of the first and second embodiments, after the positioning of the work supporting device at the time of setup change is completed, the ultrasonic motor is turned off. Since the position can be held by the action of the holding torque, a brake device or the like is not required, and simplification can be achieved, thereby contributing to cost reduction. In addition, the changeover time can be reduced. It also saves energy.

By using a timing belt to convert the rotational motion of the ultrasonic motor into a table linear motion, the motor can be arranged at the center of the moving range, the motor does not protrude in the longitudinal direction, and the size can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced. Because it is composed of simple belts and pulleys, cost can be reduced. [Control of Work Supporting Apparatus] Next, a control method of the work supporting apparatus according to the first and second embodiments will be described.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method of controlling the work supporting device according to the first and second embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 6, 100, 200, 30
Reference numeral 0 denotes a work support device to which an ultrasonic motor (USM) 4 is attached, and reference numeral 50 denotes a position control controller that drives and controls the positions of these work support devices. The position controller 50 is roughly divided into two circuit blocks 51 and 52, and a selection circuit 51 for selecting one of the plurality of connected ultrasonic motors 4 and a position of the ultrasonic motor 4 selected by the selection circuit 51 And a position control circuit 52 for controlling

Next, the operation of the work supporting device 100 will be described.

The position control circuit 52 includes the work supporting device 10
In order to drive the 0 table 1 to a predetermined position, the table is selected by the selection circuit 51 and the position can be controlled. And
The position control circuit 52 executes positioning control to move the work supporting device 100 to a desired position. When the movement is completed, the ultrasonic motor 4 of the work supporting device 100 generates a holding force for maintaining the state, so that the work supporting device 100 is held at the current position.

Here, each of the work supporting devices 100, 20
These operations need to be changed depending on what type of encoder is used for position detection of 0 and 300.

Therefore, if the encoder is of the absolute type, the absolute position of the ultrasonic motor 4 can be detected. On the other hand, if the encoder is of the increment type, only the relative position of the ultrasonic motor 4 can be detected, so that a device is required. One of the means is a method of performing a home position return operation each time a work supporting device is selected, and then performing position control. In this method, the position information is stored in the controller 50, and the position information is added to relative position data detected by the encoder to obtain absolute position information. In this case, it is necessary to store the absolute position data at the time when the movement is completed for the next position determination.

Other Embodiments In this embodiment, a storage medium storing a program code of software for realizing the control function of the work supporting apparatus is supplied to a system or an apparatus, and a computer (or a computer of the system or the apparatus) is provided. It goes without saying that a CPU or an MPU may read and execute the program code stored in the storage medium.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD
-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also the OS (Operating System) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. ) May perform some or all of the actual processing, and the processing may realize the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instruction of the program code, It goes without saying that the CPU included in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following effects are obtained by using the ultrasonic motor as the actuator of the work supporting device and performing position control by selecting the ultrasonic motor. .

It is possible to control the positions of a plurality of actuators with one position control device, which is advantageous in terms of cost and space.

Since the ultrasonic motor can generate a holding force when it is not driven, it can accurately hold the position where positioning has been performed.

Even when an external force moves after the positioning, the ultrasonic motor functions as a brake when stopped, so that there is no fear that a positional shift occurs. Also, there is no need to attach a brake other than the actuator, which is advantageous in terms of cost and space. The structure of the work supporting device can be simplified, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and a durable and inexpensive setup change device can be realized.

A single device can control a plurality of actuators, which is advantageous in terms of manufacturing cost and installation space, and can easily and accurately maintain the position after positioning.
An inexpensive device that does not require another brake mechanism or the like can be realized.

[0056]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The structure of the apparatus can be simplified, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and a durable work support apparatus that requires less labor can be provided.

In addition, a single controller can control a plurality of actuators, which is advantageous in terms of manufacturing cost and installation space, can maintain the position after positioning accurately and easily, and requires another brake mechanism and the like. It is possible to provide an inexpensive work support device that does not require any work.

[0058]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a work supporting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an internal structure of the ultrasonic motor unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of a work supporting device.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a work supporting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a method of controlling the work supporting device according to the first and second embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a conventional work supporting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Table 2 Rail 3 Stage Plate 4 Ultrasonic Motor Unit 5 Drive Pulley 6 Idler Pulley 7a, 7b Tension Pulley 8 Timing Belt 9 Belt Holder 10 Origin Sensor 11 Origin Doc 20 Stator 20a, 20b, 20c Stator Support Frame 21 Roller 22 Press Spring 23 Flange 24 Output shaft 25 Bearing 26 Encoder W1, W2 Work 31 Movable pedestal 32 Fixed pedestal

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A work supporting apparatus for controlling the driving of a supporting means for supporting a work and changing the position of the supporting means in accordance with a change in the shape of the work, the driving means for driving the supporting means on a table. A work supporting apparatus provided at a lower portion of the table, wherein the supporting means is driven by a timing belt. 2. The work supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said driving means is an ultrasonic motor. 3. The work supporting device according to claim 2, wherein a frame supporting a stator of the ultrasonic motor is fixed to the table. 4. The work support device according to claim 1, wherein the frame is provided with an encoder that detects rotation of an output shaft of the frame. 5. An origin sensor is provided on the table in the movement area of the support means, and when the support means is driven, the support means is once returned to the origin and then moved to a predetermined position. The work support device according to claim 1. 6. The work supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said driving means is provided at a side end of a lower portion of said table. 7. The work supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said driving means is provided at a substantially central portion of a lower portion of said table. 8. The work supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means is slidably driven on two rails provided on said table.